1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to traffic light controllers and more particularly pertains to a new traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles for enabling control of a plurality of traffic signal lights disposed at a controlled intersection by an operator of an emergency vehicle and for disabling a conventional traffic signal light controller used for controlling the operation of the traffic signal lights.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of traffic light controllers is known in the prior art. More specifically, traffic light controllers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art traffic light controllers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,232; U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,052; U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,434; U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,783; U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,144 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,049.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles. The inventive device includes a relay means for disconnecting the conventional traffic signal light controller in response to a disconnect signal, a directional compass means disposed in the emergency vehicle for generating a plurality of signals, a transmitter means for transmitting the signals, a data receiver means disposed at the controlled intersection for receiving and decoding the signals and generating a plurality of input signals, a state machine means for accepting the input signals, for generating a plurality of state signals, for generating a plurality of output signals dependent upon the input signals and state signals and for generating a disconnect signal, and a plurality of relay means for energizing the traffic lights responsive to the output signals.
In these respects, the traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of enabling control of a plurality of traffic signal lights disposed at a controlled intersection by an operator of an emergency vehicle and for disabling a conventional traffic signal light controller used for controlling the operation of the traffic signal lights.